Torch burner



April 1959 c. GOLDEN 2,880,793

' TORCH BURNER Filed Sept. 4, 1956 INVENTOR. CARL ET GOLDEN "ZWr 442% AT TORNE VS United States Patent.

My invention relates to means for burning "fuel, "for example, liquidpetroleum"ga's-*snch as propanein "a burner which is designed to be heldint'h'eha'nd or the user as a wand 'and is especially adapted forburning weeds or applying heat to a surface at some distance from theuser.

In connection with burners of this sort it is desirable to provide "a"burning mechanism which quickly and readily controlled "by "the user tovary the "size of the flame between a minimum pilot flame and 'a maximumtorch flame or any intermediate value =therebetween. it is alsodesirable to "have a mechanism which is relatively simple, light anduncomplicated for this purpose.

it is therefore an object of my invention *to provide atorch burnerwhich isre'adily regulated between apilot "or minimum flame and amaximumfiame with gradations itherebetween under the control of an-'opera'tor.

Another object of the invention is *to provide a torch burner readilyheld in the hand of the operator and conveniently' manipulated andadjusted.

Anoth'er object of the invention is to proviidea "relative'lysimple,light,'uncluttered 'torch burner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a burn'er readily adaptedto "consume liquid petroleum gas.

Another :object of the invention is to provide a bnrner which can bedisassembled into components readily itransported or shipped.

Other objects, together with the foregoing, are attained in theembodiments of the invention described in the accompanying descriptionand.illustrated .in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure '1, for the most part, is -'a side elevation of one form of torchburner constructed in accordance'with my invention, portions of thestructure being shown in cross-section on -a longitudinal median planeand other portions being broken away to reduce fthe size of the figure.

Figure 2 is a view comparable to Figure 1 but showing a modified form oftorch burner with portions broken away and with parts in section on alongitudinal median plane.

Figure 3 is a detail of part of the main burner of the Figure 2modification, parts being broken away to reduce the figures size.

While the torch burner of the invention has successfully beenincorporated in a number of different ways, it is well exemplified bythe two versions shown herein. In the first version, there is provided ahollow handle 6 usually of metal having grip ribs 7 on its exterior andconnected by fittings 8 and a hose or flexible pipe 9 to a source offuel, usually liquid petroleum gas. Mounted on and connected to thehollow handle 6 is a main valve body 11. This conveniently has a mainvalve poppet 12 therein normally spring and pressure closed and providedwith a stem 13 projecting through a packing gland 14 to the exterior.

On an extension 16 of the main fuel valve body is pivotally mounted ahandle 17 readily operated by the ice 111861 ,grasping the handle "6.This serves to open the "main'fnel -valve ,p'o'ppet 12 a maximum amountor any intermediate amount. When the valve poppet 12 is -'los'e2i there.is "no flow therethrough, but when "the valve is opened flow continuesthrough the main valve body 11 into 'a main fuel pipe :18; This 'pipe iscon- 'ne'c'te'd "to the main "fuel valve body "by "a 'T 19 "and "anipple 21.

' Y'In'mos't instances ithe main fuel pipe 18 is quite long. Ifflesired,it can be made in one single fl'ength 'butusnally "is provided with one"or more couplings 22 "so "that the main lfuel'pipe .18 'may include "asmany's'eetions as de- Adjacent the 'end of the main fulpipe '18 oppositethat -connected to "and 'carrying the "main "fuel "valve "body "11, is a'cross23 havingplugs "24 and '26 extending from the opposite sidesthereof. 'Th'ese plugs are specially made in that they are provided'with interior :drilledpassages '27 opening forwardly "through nozzleapertures 28 directed generally along the axis "o'fthe'mainfuel1pipe 18.Fuel therefore can issue from tlte nozzles 28 for ignition. Combinedwith the main fuel valve "body 11 is "a pilot fuel-valve body 31. Thisis directly "mounted on the main fuel valve body and is provided with .aneedle wheel '32 controlling the position of a valve pilot needle '53.The wheel 32 is located adjacent the handle '16 so that '-a usergrasping the handle either "by utilizing his thumb and forefinger-or hisother hand can readily hahge the position of the needle 33 which usuallyis {left open a selected amount. Flow "from the hollow handle 6 istherefore in parallel through the main valve poppet 12 and also throughthe pilot valve needle 33. "From the pilot fuel valve *body Sl flowtakes place "through a'p'ilo't fuel pipe 34 extending toward the "T 19and passing through appropriate fittings 36 into the interior of thepipe 18. Conveniently, the'pil'ot fuel pipe '34 is a copper tube and isreadily bent to occupy the illustrated position. The pilot *fuel pipe'34 -for the 'most part (if its length "is within the-confines'o f' themain fuel vapipe 1 8 an-cl is disposed eoaxially therewith for what-=everlength-thernain fuel p'ip'e il8-iextends.

Adjacent the opposite, outboard {end of 'themain fuel pipe, the pilotfuel pipe 3' 1 passes through the cross 23 and into a combined'conneetor and packing block This is effective to serve as a mountingfor ap'ilo't burner shell 37. fi pil'ot nozzl'e B8sw'ith'in the-pilotburner shell 37 is connected to the pilot fuel pipe 34"butis isolatedbyun'eans of the solid packing bl'o'k '36 from the interior of the mainfuel pipe although it is physically supported thereon through therne'diurn of the -'cr'oss 23. There is thus no gas flow from the mainfuel pipe 18 to the nozzle 38. The shell 37 is preferably provided withauxiliary air openings 39 and has an appropriate diameter and length toafford a pilot burner mechanism.

In the operation of this device, the pilot valve wheel 32 is opened to apredetermined small amount so that some of the fuel issues from theorifice 38 after having passed through the pilot fuel pipe 34 traversingthe interior of and being disposed largely within the confines of themain fuel pipe 18. Ignition takes place downstream of the nozzle 38 andthe shell 37 is filled with pilot flame which also issues therefrom.Whenever desired, the operator by manipulating the handle 17 opens themain fuel valve poppet 12 more or less and therefore sends supplies offuel through the main fuel pipe 18 to the plugs 24 and 26 so that themain supply of fuel is discharged from the nozzles 28. This ignites fromthe pilot flame adjacent the pilot shell 37 and so the maximum flame orany intermediate flame is thereby readily pstablished.

In some instances, there is a need not only for all the attributes of astructure substantially as shown in Figure 1, but further for therequirement that the device be readily disassembled for shipment or forstorage. In that instance there is preferably provided an arrangementsubstantially as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Therein a supply of fuel suchas liquid petroleum gas is conducted to the structure through a hollowhandle 41 leading into a hand valve 42. This valve is provided with apoppet 43 controllable by a handle 44 as before, but in addition themain valve is also combined with a pilot needle valve 46 having a thumbwheel 47 in position for convenient manipulation.

Flow of fuel through the hollow handle 41 is bent through the valves 43and 46 in parallel. The main valve 42 is joined to a main fuel pipe 49.This is conveniently threaded into position and can as readily bedetached. The pipe 49 is of any selected length and can have extensionsif desired. At its end opposite the main valve 42, the main fuel pipe 49is connected to a T 51; In axial alignment with the T and therebysupported on 'the outward end of the main fuel pipe 49 is a reducingconnection 52 supporting a pilot burner shell 53 within which a pilotburner nozzle 54 is disposed. Also connected with the reducer 52 is ablock 56 having a restricted orifice therein so that only a selectedamount of fuel can issue from the pilot nozzle 54 to the interior of thepilot burner shell 53.

Also mounted on the outboard end of the main fuel pipe 49 by connectionwith the T 51 is a valve housing 57 within which a valve 58 loaded by aspring 59 is disposed. The housing 57 serves also as a support for anipple 61 mounting a T 62 included in a main fuel burner 63. This burneris conveniently fabricated of a couple lengths of pipe having caps 64 attheir outer ends and along their lengths provided with a series oforifices 67 directed generally in the direction of the pilot fuel shell53. t

In the operation of this device, the pilot valve needle 46 is opened toany desired extent for a minimum flow of fuel. This fuel travels throughthe main fuel pipe 49, passes through the restricted orifice 56, andissues from the nozzle 54 whereat it is ignited. It burns not onlywithin the pilot burner shell 53 but also as it emerges therefrom. Thepilot gas or fuel is precluded from passinginto the main burner sincethe pressure of the spring 59 on the valve 58 is too great for that tooccur. Even though the nozzle 46 is open its maximum amount, the size ofthe restricted orifice 56 is such that the pressure rise within the mainfuel pipe 49 is too small to unseat the valve 58.

When the operator opens the main fuel valve 43 by depressing the handle44, the quantity of fuel which passes into the main fuel pipe 49 isincreased so greatly that it cannot escape through the restrictedorifice in the block 56 and so causes an increase in pressure within theT 51. This increase is sufficient to unseat the valve 58 against theurgency of the spring 59. The major flow of fuel is then through the T62 into the main burner branches 64 and thence fr'g'm the orifices 67.The fuel issuing from these orifices is ignited by passing adjacent tothe pilot flame in the vicinity of the shell 53. By the valve means 43the operator can regulate the presence or size of the maximum or mainflame whereas the regulation of the pilot nozzle 46 controls theissuance of the minimum or pilot flame.

An advantage of this structure is that by simply unscrewing the variouspipe connections the mechanism can be partly or entirely disassembledfor storage or shipment or for cleaning. While it does entail theutilization of a mechanism impressing a pressure drop on the fuel it isin general comparable in performance to the modification of Figure 1.

What is claimed is:

l. A torch burner comprising a main fuel pipe, a main fuel valve on oneend of said main fuel pipe, a pilot fuel valve combined with said mainfuel valve, means for supplying said main fuel valve and said pilot fuelvalve with fuel for parallel flow therethrough into said main fuel pipe,a pilot fuel burner connected to and supported on the other end of saidmain fuel pipe, means including a restricted orifice interposed betweensaid pilot fuel burner and said main fuel pipe, a main fuel burnerconnected to and supported on said other end of said main fuel pipe, andmeans including a spring loaded valve interposed between said main fuelburner and said main fuel pipe.

2. A torch burner comprising a fuel pipe, a main fuel valve on said fuelpipe and controlling main fuel flow thereto, a pilot fuel valve on saidfuel pipe and controlling pilot fuel flow thereto, means for supplyingsaid main fuel valve and said pilot fuel valve with fuel for parallelflow therethrough into said fuel pipe, a pilot fuel burner on andopening into said fuel pipe downstream of said fuel valves,'meansincluding a restricted orifice interposed between said pilot fuel burnerand said fuel pipe, a main fuel burner on and opening into said fuelpipe downstream of said fuel valves, and means including a valveresponsive to pressure in said fuel pipe interposed in the fuel flowpath between said main fuel burner and said fuel pipe.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSEmerton Jan. 6, 1880

